Chapter 78: Valley of Venomous Creatures (1)
Translator: bjgoofy
The weight from the arms wrapped around both shoulders and waist was palpable.
I stood still, lost in thought, then finally spoke up because we had to get going.
At this rate, it seemed unlikely that we would be able to leave today.
That was because behind me, Grandfather Man of Ten Thousand Poisons and the Venomous Creature Squad were waiting in a line.
“Um… kids?”
-Kkukkku?
-Tsurut?
-Kisit?
Then came their nonchalant calls, as if asking why I was calling them.
Seeing their casual attitude, I slapped my forehead audibly and said.
-Smack.
“Come on, you’ve got to let go so daddy can leave...."
The reason I can only make a pitiful face at these guys' behavior.
I had been preparing for an expedition for several days, and had set our first destination as a place called Mount Ailao in the jungles of Yunnan, passing through a city called Kunming in Yunnan.
“The Valley of Venomous Creatures!?”
“That’s right. The Valley of Venomous Creatures.”
‘What? There’s actually a place with such a heavenly name?’
The reason was that there were records in the Tang Family about a valley called Venomous Creature Valley in a place where strange rock formations grew like a forest, and mysterious venomous insects and snakes were reportedly found there.
“The venomous creatures of Mount Ailao are extremely peculiar, and the most remarkable are found near a lake in the center of the Valley of Venomous Creatures…”
There was no way I could pass up a place called the Valley of Venomous Creatures.
To Maewoon Fabre, ‘heaven’ and ‘the Valley of Venomous Creatures’ were synonymous.
That's why I decided to dry the surplus crickets and mealworms produced in the Venomous Creature Garden for snacks and side dishes.
Though those staying behind were disappointed, half of the Venomous Creature Squad was to remain at the Tang Family to manage the Venomous Creatures Garden.
That was because around half were needed to maintain the place.
The person in charge was Song Na-ok, Deputy Squad Leader of the Venomous Creature Squad.
The reason a female was immediately given a position of authority was because she had to give instructions to the members of the Venomous Creature Squad, and it seemed inconvenient to do so without a formal title.
Anyway, after completing all the preparations for departure, the day before leaving, I gathered the centipedes and lizards with Yohwa to explain.
This was to prevent them from wandering around looking for me when I was gone.
“Daddy has some business outside and will be away for a few days, okay? So be good and listen to your mom while I’m gone. Got it? Cho, take good care of your younger siblings, Hyang, don’t make things hard for mom, and Bin, even if you miss me, hang in there for just a few days.
Ice and Snow, you too, be good and listen to Nunim.”
-Tsurur…
-Kkukkku!?
Hearing I was leaving, the centipedes who were always attached to me let out weak cries as if they already knew, and Ice and Snow asked in surprise.
The centipedes knew, but Ice and Snow seemed bewildered, so I gave a rough explanation of why I was going out.
“I’m going to bring back some friends. Wouldn’t it be nice for you guys to have some friends too? I’ll be back soon, so listen to Mom and Nunim while I’m gone, okay?”
-Tsurur…
-Kkukkku…
When I reminded them again, the centipedes and Ice and Snow answered reluctantly.
It was easy to persuade those five, but then I heard Yohwa’s voice, as if to ask, “What about me?”
-Kisit?
“The remaining uncles from the Venomous Creature Squad will come to the well every morning and give you Yang energy, so don’t worry. Just a few days…”
-Kishishi!
But before I could finish, Yohwa’s fake body, which had taken the form of Nunim, crossed its arms and made an expression of disbelief.
It was the cold expression of the Nunim I liked most.
She clearly let out a sound indicating she didn’t like it.
Of course, I understood why.
Yohwa didn’t eat Yang energy daily, only occasionally, and after coming to the Tang Family, she refused to consume anything unless I gave it to her.
According to my father-in-law and Grandfather Man of Ten Thousand Poisons, the Tang Family’s records say that Human-Faced Spiders would capture people, hang them from trees, and suck out their Yang energy until death, but strangely, Yohwa only showed a picky preference for the Yang energy of one person.
Unless she was truly starving, she wouldn’t consume anyone else’s Yang energy.
I pleaded with Yohwa earnestly.
“Can’t we work something out, Yohwa? I really have to go. Please, I’m asking you.”
In my previous life too, going on a trip was truly a distant dream.
At the time, the insects, reptiles, and amphibians I raised didn’t require daily feeding, so skipping a day or two was fine. But a long trip was absolutely impossible.
When I traveled overseas to celebrate reaching one million subscribers, I could only do so after finding someone to take care of my creatures.
But even now, that hasn’t changed.
In my previous life, it was enough to find someone to feed them and clean the cages in my stead. But now, because the ones I raise are intelligent, I have to explain and beg for their permission, making it even harder, honestly.
‘No, it might be even harder than in my past life. At least back then, I didn’t have to ask the kids for permission, right? Even getting approval from Nunim, my future wife, wasn’t this hard…’
In the end, I had to plead so desperately, practically on my knees, to soothe Yohwa’s mood and barely earned her permission.
I hadn’t known it before, but Yohwa really liked being hugged in her fake body form.
She had so stubbornly refused, but when I suddenly hugged her fake body in a flustered moment, she blushed and granted me permission.
“Please, Yohwa, I’m really begging you.”
-Ki, kishit!
A cry from Yohwa that meant “Fine, but get off already.”
Anyway, after all that chaos yesterday and finally getting her permission, we were set to depart with the expedition today. But when I arrived at the entrance of the Nine Progress Gate, the ones I thought had just come along to see us off, suddenly swarmed around me.
-Tsururut!
-Kisit!
-Kkukkku!
The moment I stepped outside the Nine Progress Gate, Ice, Snow, and the centipedes charged at me, scrambling to secure their spots on my body.
The centipedes and lizards usually weren’t exactly on friendly terms, they’d even compete for either my shoulder or Nunim’s. But today, they willingly yielded to each other: the centipedes settled on my right shoulder, and the lizards on my left.
And behind me, Yohwa hugged me tightly.
At first, I thought this was their way of saying goodbye.
I figured they were trying to bid farewell before we were apart for a while.
"It looks like the kids are going to miss you, Soryong."
Grandfather and the members of the Venomous Creature Squad and Poison Blood Squad that made up our expedition smiled warmly at the sight.
However, despite giving them ample time to say goodbye, the little ones wouldn’t let go of my body.
“Um… guys? No, seriously, you have to let go so daddy can leave...."
When I pleaded once more, Yohwa, who was hugging me, suddenly hoisted me onto her back in a princess-carry position and started marching at the front of the expedition.
-Kishit!
She pointed beyond the river, making it clear she intended to lead the way.
Nunim spoke with a startled expression.
"Soryong, it seems like they want to come along, doesn't it?"
“S-surely not. I explained everything to them... and they all said they understood?”
Surely they wouldn’t really try to follow me, right? As I looked back and checked both shoulders in disbelief at Nunim’s words, all of them were nodding their heads in sync.
'No, why! You said you understood! Don't tell me you want to follow daddy on his trip?'
It seemed these guys were really going to follow me.
***
No matter how much I tried to persuade them, I couldn’t shake them off, so in the end, I had no choice but to take them along.
Because of that, the expedition team would inevitably need to adjust its itinerary and members. But that didn’t mean I could bring all of them.
The other kids were not a problem, but Yohwa was an issue.
While the other little ones could be hidden inside my clothes or tucked into the boxes meant for venomous creatures and insects, there was no way to conceal Yohwa.
After all, if you walked around with a giant spider with a human face, you were bound to draw attention.
No, it would be more than just attention.
According to Nunim, there were folk tales about mythical creatures spread throughout this region, so people might call Yohwa a monster.
Even the belief that centipedes could become dragons was based on such tales, which meant that if we weren't careful, a subjugation team might be organized against us.
Especially since Yohwa was a Human-Faced Spider, a venomous creature often vilified in such stories, she would be in even more danger.
There was also the possibility of being detained and questioned by local officials for disturbing the peace.
For that reason, I had no choice but to plead with Yohwa again.
“Yohwa, I can hide the other kids in my arms, but you’re a bit too big, so if I take you along, people will be startled. I just can’t take you like that.
Of course, Oppa would love to take you with me, after all, you’re my beautiful Yohwa. But according to Hwa-eun, people might throw rocks at you or even call you a monster.
Just the thought of Yohwa being hit by a rock is so horrific it makes Oppa dizzy, you know?”
Even if Yohwa felt upset, this was something I had to explain in detail, because it couldn’t be helped. As she silently listened to my words, Yohwa turned her fake body, disguised as Nunim, and looked back at her own spider form.
As if checking her own body.
‘Can she even see that?’
I thought her eyes were just rudimentary sensory organs, but it didn’t seem that way.
Just when I thought she was reconsidering herself objectively...
-Srrr.
With a strange sound, Yohwa’s body began to vanish as if being erased with a rubber.
"Huk!"
A moment later, Yohwa's body completely vanished except for the pedipalps that had taken Nunim's form.
“W-what!? Yohwa, how did you do that!? Where did my beautiful Yohwa’s body go!?”
A shocking moment, Yohwa’s large and beautiful spider form vanished in an instant.
As I rushed forward with a shocked expression and groped at the space where her body had disappeared, I felt her soft, furry body with my fingertips.
Thankfully, it hadn’t completely disappeared.
It had merely become invisible to the naked eye.
“Th-that scared me! But Yohwa, you can actually hide your body like that!?”
With her spider form now hidden from view, it looked like her feet were hovering just slightly above the ground. Now I finally understood why the people at the Namgoong Family who were drained of Yang energy by Yohwa claimed a celestial maiden had appeared.
I used to think it was just hallucinations at work, but if a beautiful woman appears to float slightly above the ground, of course they’d think it was a celestial maiden.
“You guys are full of surprises, really.”
As I let out a sigh of relief and placed a hand over my startled heart, I heard Yohwa’s voice.
-Kissist?
With her arms folded and chin raised, her expression seemed to say, “Well? Is this good enough now?”
It was as if she had revealed her ultimate secret technique, clearly showing her firm resolve to follow me.
Faced with her look that seemed to ask if everything was settled now, I had no choice but to nod.
Because, after all, she was determined to come no matter what.
“All right, let’s go. Let’s…”
***
Two days later.
Our expedition team had, unavoidably, gained another member: Nunim.
There was no one other than me or Nunim who could take care of the kids, and since all of them had come along, she had no choice but to be included.
There was no way I could handle all of them on my own, so Nunim’s participation became essential.
“So in the end, I have to come along.”
“It seems that way, Hwa-eun.”
"Since you all didn't listen to mommy and insisted on following daddy, you must behave well during the trip, understand?"
As I scratched my head with an apologetic expression, Nunim gathered the kids and lectured them.
The kids nodded with expressions that showed they understood her scolding.
-Tsurur…
-Kkukkku!
And so, with half of the Venomous Creature Squad, half of the Poison Blood Squad, and even Grandfather Man of Ten Thousand Poisons included, plus me, Nunim, and our venomous creatures, our group set off for Yunnan.
With my heart pounding with excitement at the prospect of capturing lots of venomous creatures to bring back.
Our first destination was the town of Panzhihua, located on the border between Sichuan and Yunnan, where we had previously brought back the Golden-Furred King Bees from.
From there, the plan was to head to Kunming, the largest city in Yunnan, and then to Mount Ailao.
We hurried our steps, passing through Sichuan’s capital Chengdu, and then near Mount Emei in Sichuan.
There, along the official road, a checkpoint had been set up, and when we arrived, female monks from the Emei Sect stepped out.
“Aren’t you people from Sichuan’s Tang Family? Gasp, is that the Man of Ten Thousand Poisons?”
The female monks expressed their surprise at our appearance.
I wondered why a random checkpoint had suddenly appeared, and it turned out that ever since the Blood Cult had reemerged, checkpoints like these were being set up along the roads.
They said each sect was conducting inspections on the official roads passing near their gates.
“We’re on our way to Yunnan for some business. May we pass through?”
“Of course, Elder Man of Ten Thousand Poisons.”
The checkpoint was no obstacle with Grandfather Man of Ten Thousand Poisons, a figure who held considerable weight in the Central Plains’ murim. Naturally, we received a free pass.
However, just as we were about to pass the checkpoint.
A female monk, who appeared to be in charge, suddenly shouted in a shocked voice.
“F-Floating Void technique! It seems the Poisonous Flower has mastered the divine technique!”
At her words, all the female monks stationed at the checkpoint gasped in astonishment.
I didn’t understand what was going on at first, but then I realized, they were referring to the pedipalps of Yohwa, who was trailing behind us.
Since Yohwa was disguised in Nunim’s form, with her feet just slightly floating above the ground, they assumed she had mastered some impressive high-level Qinggong technique.
The reason it had come to this was due to a superstition in the Central Plains that twins were considered as ominous as monsters. Because of this, Nunim had been traveling beside Yohwa wearing a male martial arts outfit, her face completely veiled in a mask.
So the monks mistook the floating figure for Nunim.
Later, according to Grandfather’s explanation, there’s a final stage of Qinggong known as “flying across land”, a technique that allows one to move like a ghost with their feet off the ground. The female monks must have thought that’s what they were seeing.
There were a few similar incidents like that during the journey, but nothing that truly obstructed our travel. Eventually, we were able to arrive at a place near Mount Ailao called Yimun.
"Is that Mount Ailao over there? I'm really looking forward to Venomous Creature Valley."
Mount Ailao was visible just ahead.
If the Valley of Venomous Creatures existed, that would be heaven for me.
With a pounding heart, I looked forward to the valley, but as soon as we arrived at Yimun, we were struck with an odd feeling.
As we entered the region of Yimun, we noticed the absence of nighttime insect sounds, the daytime chirping of cicadas, birdsong, and even the howls of wild beasts. Not a single sound could be heard.
I had been collecting insects here and there for specimens during our journey, but here, not a single insect was to be found.
Under stones, in crevices, on trees, there wasn’t a single living creature.
It was as if someone had thoroughly disinfected the place.
“How strange. Why does this place feel just like it did when we went to capture the Blue-Spotted Centipede?”
At Grandfather’s words, Squad Leader Gu Pae and the Poison Blood Division Leader nodded with grave expressions.
But to me, it wasn’t ominous, it was good news.
'No, that's not serious, it's good news, isn't it?'
*****
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